Chapter 58 Fraser #2
“Yep,” she says, not looking up from where she’s fastidiously applying cream.
I watch her hands move over the pillowy skin.
“And technically, I’m not done yet, I still have to moisturise and do a lip mask and a face mask and then wrap myself in a robe and lie down in exhaustion for half an hour.
Did Cameron send you to spy on me? I know he doesn’t understand the Everything Shower, but he’s not allowed to watch.
It’s for his own protection. The last time he saw me jade-roll my face, he got scared I was trying to flatten my nose out.
And don’t get me started on that time he saw me in my red-light mask. ”
I swallow thickly as she babbles. “Summer,” I manage.
She tenses and glances up at me. “Yes?” She looks dismayed. “Oh no, why is your face like that? You look so sad. Are you okay?” She grabs my hand and pulls me onto the mattress next to her. Before I know what’s happening, she’s crawled into my lap and is hugging me tightly.
I heave in a breath that hurts my lungs, letting my fingers tangle in her damp hair. “’M fine.”
“You’re not.” She starts rubbing my shoulders, and I know I should focus on the conversation, but it feels so damn nice. I let my eyes fall shut for a bit. “Tell me. Please?”
“Just a—a bad brain day.”
She makes an unhappy noise and tucks her face into the crook of my neck, kissing my throat. “I’m sorry,” she mumbles. “I’m familiar with those.”
“Aye?”
“Mm. I mean, sometimes, when I get burned out, yeah.” She kisses my neck again. “Can I help?”
“You are,” I say honestly, shamelessly tugging her closer.
She hums and cuddles me. We stay like that for a few minutes.
I play with her hair as I listen to the rain washing the windowpanes outside.
The ache in my chest flares. Outside the room, I can hear Alec and Cameron talking in low voices, chairs scraping out.
They’ll be loading up the van. Inside, Summer lays her chin on my shoulder and kisses my cheek.
I don’t feel better, exactly—but I feel steadier, having her sit with me through it. It’s nice. Really, really nice.
I clear my throat. “Summer.”
“Mm?”
“Cameron and I are gonna be away for the rest of today. Potentially tomorrow too.”
She pulls back, shock crossing her face. “What? But there’s only a few days until I go back.”
“I know. We have some deliveries to make, and the weather won’t be good enough for us to safely drive back tonight.”
“Oh.” She wilts a bit, looking down. “Well, okay. Stay safe.”
I cup her cheek, forcing her to look at me. “Summer,” I say. “Do… Do you like it here?”
She blinks. “What?”
“At Lochview. Do you like it more than London?”
“Yes,” she says immediately. “I love it here. It’s amazing. If I could, I’d never leave.”
“Right.” I take a breath, my heart hammering. “You know you don’t have to go home next week, baby.”
“Like, extend my stay?” Her smile turns wistful. “I want to. I really, really do. But I have to work. I can’t just bunk off forever.”
I open my mouth. I’m practically bursting to tell her how I feel. To lay it all out for her. To tell her the past few weeks have been the best I’ve had in years. To tell her that I reckon she belongs here.
But I can’t. Not yet. Her first question would be “Do Cameron and Alec want me to stay?” And if they said no, she’d be so hurt she’d probably leave today.
I have to work on them both first.
“I’ll miss you,” I say instead. “If you go next week, I’ll miss you more than anything, London.” I stroke my hand through her damp hair. It’s frizzing up a wee bit as it dries.
Her smile wavers. “Yeah. I’ll miss you too. I’m trying not to think about it, to be honest.” She spreads her hand on my chest. “It’s been amazing.”
I wrap my arm around her waist and drag her in for a kiss. She melts under me, shivering against my front as I take her sweet mouth.
I might not be able to tell her how I feel yet. But I can show her. And this kiss—it’s not the kind of kiss you give a casual fling. It’s the kind of kiss you give someone you care about. She gasps as I draw her in even closer, practically pulling her into me.
“Fraser—” she starts. I just kiss her again, relishing the way her whole body quivers against me.
There’s a sudden bang on the door. “We need to leave,” Cameron calls through the wood. He sounds almost as angry as I am.
I want to kill him.
Summer pulls away reluctantly, cheeks pink. “You should go,” she whispers, shifting on my lap. “I don’t want to distract you guys from your work.”
“Don’t say that.” I give her another rough kiss. “You’re not a distraction.”
“I think that I’m literally distracting you right now,” she mumbles as I tug on her bottom lip.
There’s another heavy knock. Swearing, I finally let Summer go and give her one last long peck on the lips. Then I stride across the room and yank open the bedroom door, revealing Cameron on the other side.
“We need—” he starts.
“To go,” I snap at him. “Aye. Got it. You gonna say bye to her, or are we in too much of a rush for that too?”
Before Cameron can respond, Summer ducks under my arm and wraps her arms around him. “Please stay safe,” she mumbles into his chest. “Get inside if the weather gets too bad. I’ll miss you.”
His expression is pained as he gently lays a hand on the back of her head.
Oh, yeah. He’s got it just as bad as I do. At least I have the balls to admit it.
“We will,” he tells her gruffly. “Look after Alec. He’ll have a hard night with the storm.”
She nods, and the two of them just stare at each other for a second, obviously not wanting to pull apart. Eventually, he steps back and jerks his head at me. “C’mon.”
With one last look at Summer, I follow him out into the corridor, the heavy feeling increasing.
I know I shouldn’t feel worried. Cameron and Alec will come around. We have a week. They’ll get over their shit, and we’ll ask Summer to stay, and it’ll all be fine.
I just can’t stop the feeling that something bad is going to happen.